What, if anything, will you do for St. Patrick's Day?

[jmarvellous]

I have not done anything since I was a kid and my mom made green mashed potatoes and Jell-O and probably some vaguely Irish entree and made us wear green or we'd get a pinch. She's got a good bit of Irish blood but it was never a major part of my upbringing.

This year my mom and sister will be in town for a visit, so we'll probably still do nothing special, but I'll wear green lest I get pinched by my mom -- which is somehow more embarrassing in one's late 20s.

[EmmaJ.]

I'm going to a wedding!  It will be a hoot.  I can't wait to see the shamrock decorations, the green bridemaid's dresses, and taste their signature green cocktail!   

[camlan]

Does anyone know where or when the "wear green or get pinched" thing started? My family is partly Irish on both sides and I never heard of this custom until here at Ehell. And I'm in my 50s. Can't figure out if I just missed that it was going on all around me or if it's a regional thing or what.

[magicdomino]

The pinching thing is probably regional US.  I remember it from elementry school.    

I don't have a drop of Irish blood, but I still make corned beef (cooked in the slow cooker with brown sugar and Guiness) and cabbage, just for fun.  Although I'm trying to avoid "white food" because of the carbs, I may make some colcannon this weekend.  Due to some dental problems, I'm on mush until next Wednesday anyway.

My St. Patrick's Day beanie babies are on the display shelf at work.    

[WillyNilly]

When St Patrick's is on a weekday I go to the [NYC] parade but since its a weekend this year I'll be skipping it as its way too crowded on a weekend!  I love the parade!  Generally though I avoid all the pubs and whatnots as they are obnoxiously crowded (my BFF and I have a tradition of going to an all-American buffalo meat place for burgers on St Patricks Day to get out of the craziness for a bit).

But this year I'll be essentially ignoring the holiday and going dress shopping with my stepmom.  We might stop for corn beef and cabbage lunch at an outer-borough pub though, simply based on the neighborhoods we'll be in.

Does anyone know where or when the "wear green or get pinched" thing started? My family is partly Irish on both sides and I never heard of this custom until here at Ehell. And I'm in my 50s. Can't figure out if I just missed that it was going on all around me or if it's a regional thing or what.

I've never heard of this before this thread!  I've always heard the "kiss me I'm Irish" thing though - in Jr high I'd get lots of cheek kisses on St Paddy's day!  And when I got to the parade I get lots of drunken offers of kisses.

[Namárië]

This year I'm going to be in Austin for it, no idea what happens there. In the past, I've gone to South Boston for the parade (not fun due to to crowds). I love this time of year, though, because corned beef goes on sale and boiled dinner is one of my favorite meals. I stock up on it.

The whole "wear green or get pinched" thing annoys me. I'm 3rd gen Irish-American/Canadian so I usually say I'm already Irish; I don't need to wear green.

[jmarvellous]

This year I'm going to be in Austin for it, no idea what happens there. In the past, I've gone to South Boston for the parade (not fun due to to crowds). I love this time of year, though, because corned beef goes on sale and boiled dinner is one of my favorite meals. I stock up on it.

The whole "wear green or get pinched" thing annoys me. I'm 3rd gen Irish-American/Canadian so I usually say I'm already Irish; I don't need to wear green.

Namarie: Check out Fado Irish Pub or the Gingerman (PACKED, but definitely the most Irishy places downtown), the Cedar Door, Dog and Duck Pub (has a special outdoor area for that day only, but doesn't tend to be quite so rowdy), or anywhere on Sixth Street if you don't mind massive crowds.
Off the beaten path (well, not really, but away from the most massive of massive crowds), any of the Opal Devine's locations, the Flying Saucer or possibly the Draught House for a calmer atmosphere.

Like I said, I don't intentionally go looking for St. Pat's stuff, but if you're in Downtown Austin that night, it'll find you, particularly during SXSW!

[Irishkitty]

I'm particuarly perplexed that y'all are making corned beef! (For those cooking specially for the day). Is it traditional for you?
I don't recall it as a local tradition. It's actually not something I think of when I think of Irish food. But yes, we do eat it. I havn't had it in 15 years though... can't remember if I like it...

I shall, like Mazdoy, be wandering to a (relatively) local parade if the weathers good. *waves at mazdoy* It won't be the same parade though.

No big plans though, except to work on the garden and enjoy having the extra day off work, we get the monday as a holiday - woop!

[Reika]

I plan on tossing some corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker. Mom wanted to go to a party since it's St. Patty's day on a Saturday. I pointed out that was a good reason for not going out. She thought about it and agreed.

Since I plan on playing a lot of Mass Effect 3 that day, I might make my character's armor green for the day.

[Nibsey]

I'm not getting lamb this year for dinner as it's my Mam's 50th birthday the following week and I'm making it then for her birthday dinner. However hopefully I'll have the traditional green jelly trifle.
 
I'm also planning on being stereotypically fluthered, langered, locked, paralytic, plastered, scuttered, stocious, twisted and sozzled.*  Well sort of, St Paddys has always been a family day but this year a mate is having a party so I'm going to experiment with my tolerance levels since I haven't touched a drop since I got my gallbladder out. And I've persuaded my SO who usually the designated driver to actually get a taxi home. 

*Drunk

   
Hi Irishkitty, corned beef is a traditional Irish American St Paddys tradition because when Irish immigrants were over there it was a cheaper substitute to pork. So a uniquely Irish American tradition, like calling it st patricia's (Patty) day??? lol
Whereas over here corned beef is a 'poor man's supper' (according to my Grandad) and not the kind of thing people eat on a special occasion.

[Irishkitty]

Thanks Nibsey

PS: You forgot p!ssed, snookered, wrecked, blitzed, tanked, blasted, sloshed and ****faced    LOL

[Nibsey]

Thanks Nibsey

PS: You forgot p!ssed, snookered, wrecked, blitzed, tanked, blasted, sloshed and ****faced    LOL

How could I forget sloshed! I also missed hammered and bolloxed but I wasn't sure how many of those were actually Irish slang. I was trying to be authentic for the trend. 

[BeagleMommy]

Our town has a large parade on St. Pat's day.  I haven't been to it since I had to march in the silly thing in high school.  It's not a lot of fun to be 16 and having a drunkard chase you down the street trying to steal your pom poms.  I still don't get why our town bars are allowed to open at 7:00 am and serve alcohol only on St. Pat's day.

DH and DS will make corned beef and cabbage.  I don't like it so I am ordering Indian food.  For some reason DH associates watching "The Quiet Man" with St. Pat's day so we watch that.

I don't wear green.  I have no Irish heritage.  In fact, if my Welsh grandfather suspected I was celebrating an Irish holiday he would have boxed my ears!  I wear red on St. David's Day on March 1.

[hobish]

I will be lamenting that it is the 2nd St. Patrick’s Day I will not be ringing the bell at the tiki bar at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater, Florida then heading to pub for corned beef and cabbage. Le sigh. But – I just got an invitation to a St. Patty’s day dinner at a friend’s house. I am sure there will be much revelry and Guinness and delicious food. I have to see if I can bring anything; any excuse to use my crock pot is a good one.

[eport]

My mom's side of the family is very Irish. We actually have a clan float in a St. Patrick's day parade that we've been in for 21 years (and have never won best clan-a bit of a sore spot). The parade is always on the actually day and alot of the floats/entries are families/local schools.

Now, when I say float-you are already thinking too nice. We have a trailer that we decorate in crete paper and construction paper shamrocks with our names on them. Grandpa dresses up as St. Patrick and waves from the back. It's alot of fun.
Last year, we either became cool/smart and/or white trash as we added a port o potty to the float (hey the lines for the toliet at the begining of the parade is always an hour long and we covered it with plywood/posters so it wouldn't be too obvious  ).

We picnic (there might be some bailey/beer for the over 21s involved) in the park before the parade starts (12:30) and hang out after the parade is over. Grandma has said that St. Patrick's Day is better than Christmas. See at Christmas and other holidays she has to share everyone with other families (people go see the other side of their family, now that the grandkids are getting married, balancing even more families, etc). On St. Pat's day-that's our holiday everyone is there and takes off school/work.